‘Tis the season for brewery release calendars, and Bell’s Brewery (Comstock, Michigan) has come forward with a calendar that is absolutely loaded with good news for craft beer fans in 2018.

In keeping with our established approach to brewery release calendars, we have published Bell’s Brewery’s full 2018 Release Calendar below for you to go over at your own pace.  Bell’s does have quite a few new beers and packaging options planned for next year, so let’s quickly go over a few highlights before we turn you over to that calendar:

• The Year-Round lineup will remain the same, but the packaging for Lager of the Lakes will transition to 6-packs of 12 oz. cans in 2018.  Lager of the Lakes bottles “will be officially retired as a packaging option. Lager cans will also start shipping in February.”
• The Seasonal lineup remains mostly the same with the return of Oberon (late-March – August), Best Brown (September – October) and Winter White (November – January). Larry’s Latest Sour Ale (February – March) will be the only new Seasonal, and it will sub in for Smitten Golden Rye Ale (sorry, Smitten fans).  You can click here to read more about Larry’s Latest Sour Ale.
• Hopslam Double IPA returns in January and will have availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 5L mini-kegs (that’s right, they are back!), and on draft.
• To commemorate the 1988 debut of Cherry Stout and further celebrate being Michigan’s oldest craft brewery, Bell’s will release 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve in May.  30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve “will be a special version of one of Bell’s signature stouts made with cherry juice sourced from Michigan’s Traverse City region.”  More details to come.
• Sparkleberry Ale, a Belgian-style Tripel brewed with raspberries, will see increased availability in 2018.  Look for it in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans in June.
• Since Hell Hath No Fury – a Belgian-inspired Stout from the brewery’s Specialty line – was always meant to be a part of a trilogy, Bell’s Brewery is focused on finally establishing the “Hell Series” in 2018.  Road to Hell will be released first in July, followed by Hell Hath No Fury in September and then Sympathy for the Devil in November.  More details to come.
• The Oracle Double India Pale Ale will return in 2018.  Look for it to hit in July with availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft.

“With seven year-rounds, four seasonals and more than a dozen specialties, it’s going to be another amazing year of Bell’s beer,” Laura Bell, CEO of Bell’s Brewery, said.

“We will continue to push the boundaries and celebrate what makes Bell’s unique and innovative,” she said.  “As with this year’s release calendar, we still reserve the right to announce a few surprises here and there,” she hinted.

That should cover everything that we wanted to go over, but a quick look at the calendar below will show you that there are still quite a few exciting brews left for you to discover on your own.  Be sure to check it out so that you will be fully prepared for the stellar year of craft beer ahead from Bell’s Brewery. Prost!